Dogs And Cats

According to Ordinance #5 of 1893, that became effective on June 26, 1893, all dog owners are required to obtain licenses for their dogs, except for “such dog kept by an agriculturist solely as a watch dog and is necessary for that purpose”.

The “Dogs and Cats Regulation”, effective from January 13, 1950, made the slaughter or sale of dogs and cats, for food, illegal – Cap 167, section 3, Ordinance #1 of 1950; contravention is liable to a fine of one thousand dollars and to imprisonment for six months.

Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Founded on August 28, 1903, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) [1] remained inactive until re-established on June 24, 1921 where the 16th Governor Reginald Edward Stubbs accepted positions as President and Patron of the society. The following year saw the society's first event – a fancy dress fund-raising ball held in the old City Hall on February 20, 1922. Margaret (Maclean) Ho-tung [2], wife of Robert Ho-tung, funded the establishment of the first dog's home, opened in June 1923 and was located on Waterloo Road. Queen Elizabeth II granted the society the royal nomenclature in 1978; the title was dropped in 1997.

[1] This is what was written in the Hong Kong Telegraph August 28, 1903, “From the Editorial: Before the following lines appear in print, the inaugural meeting of the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will have been held this afternoon.”

[2] R. Ho-tung (sitting in middle in the photo) had two wives (2 co-wives). He married Margaret Maclean (usually known as Lady Ho-tung)(right in the photo) first and, for the reason that Maclean did not produce a child, he married Clara, Cheung Lin-kok (usally known as the Lady Clara)(left). Donating to the SPCA seemed more a Lady Clara's kind of thing, but since the SPCA website explicitly mentions Lady Ho-tung, I therefore put her name here.

Horse Shoer

George Duddell made the following announcement on the Friends of China on May 27, 1848

Ferriery corner of Wellington and Wyndham Street, Victoria. Mr. Duddell begs to inform the community of Hongkong, that he has engaged an English Horse Shoer, and will open a Ferriery in all its branches on the above premises on ... ; and is confident that the moderate charge of $1.5 per Horse together with attention and despatch, will produce him a share of Public Patronage.

Duddell made his fortune in land speculations in Hong Kong and retired back to the U.K. only in his 30s. He, at one time, held the opium monopoly, known as an 'Opium Farmer', for the exclusive right to prepare and sell opium in Hong Kong. The Duddell Street in Central, with the 2 surviving gas street lamps, is named after him.

Entrepreneurial Undertaker

The following advertisement appeared in the 'Friends of China' on October 19, 1843.

Mr. Christopher begs to inform the inhabitants of Victoria, Hongkong:that he has opened a Billard Room, in the Queen's Road opposite the Hongkong Market, and trusts by attention to his customers that he will obtain a liberal share of public patronage.

Mr. Christopher begs to inform the inhabitants of Victoria, that he undertakes funeral in all their arrangement.
N.B. he has got a respecable hearse.

Friends of China is the first English newspaper published in Hon Kong --- 'Hongkong Gazette' (supposedly Hong Kong's first English newspaper) was published in Macao.

Water Supply from Dongjiang

Water supply from Guangdong, Dongjiang (東江) :1965. Today, about 70-80 percent of water supplies for Hong Kong comes from Dongjiang.